[Anime] Frame Arms Girl – Episode 7

Another session with more fun antics and battles to be had! This time featuring Hresvelgr, Gourai’s enemy and rival has finally been brought to light.

– Hresvelgr slashing up Ao’s door to rudely battle Gourai for some ‘fail-rate’ data.

I was looking forward to this episode because it has Hresvelgr, yet it’s a shame she has to be the ‘moronic’ type. We finally see who Gourai’s true enemy is, and that’s Hresvelgr as we find out the episode chapter is titled ‘vs. Hresvelgr’. Funny how we also get to see this during the moment when all the FA: Girls chose to go on a hide-and-seek fun, something that’s actually amusing.

– Huh?
– The only time I admire anime version Hresvelgr when she’s genuinely curious. Such an adorable expression.
– Hide and seek, yay!~ (Base voice). Materia sisters actually doing the actual counting as they each go hiding, except for Kuro. Kuro wanted to be found to assist in the hunt.
– Shhh!~ or they’ll find us! Be quiet! Baselard being her comical self, something spawning a genuine laugh. You can actually see them hiding up there in actual real life also.
– Gourai sneaks away, yet Base being Base slips from the lights above and onto Materia sisters.
– Tag! You’re it! Ah, wrong game. Base’s punishment of hugs & kisses.

That Roomba is a character of its own. It’s everywhere, and it’s also paired of with Baselard heavily. It’s Baselard’s pet, and I bet sales went up in a noticable manner for these Roombas thanks to FA Girl.

– I guess this is why bunny girl suits are popular, them curves. Baselard seem to have been designed with a bunny suit in mind. That tease…..
– Cute. This is adorable, and I see this is why they’ve been paired up.
– Base cooking up a new ‘evil’ Baselard style plan. Can you guess what it is? Oh, it’s sneaky.
– Architect knows what’s up. She knows Base’s plan is sneaky as she assists Gourai. Base playing Ao’s recorded voice.
– Sneaky, sneaky. Typical Baselard plan.
– Being the hyper-active FA: Girl that she is………
– Sound detection gesture, yet this is adorable for Architect. Making animal ears gesture in response to Hresvelgr’s rude entrance.
– Zzzzzzz (Charger-kun charging up Baselard)

Hresvelgr’s personality sure is something rotten. As mentioned earlier that I’m not impressed by it as I prefer a more ‘refined’ personality. A more casual type, something that Hresvelgr isn’t. A crude ‘street’ personality, in a way. Because of Ao’s FA: Girls playing hide and seek Hresvelgr gets this delusional idea that they fear her, and even in a comical manner I disprove. She goes kicking boxes, throwing pillows in an attempt to find Gourai & the others.

– She’ll seek out Gourai wherever she can! Hyaa!~ Throwing pillows around.
– Insult to injury, Hresvelgr is insultingly blunt bringing up ‘fail-rates’ desiring to see Gourai lose. Also gaining a slight Power Rangers vibe from this scene.

A battle Hresvelgr wants, a battle Hresvelgr gets.

– Guns at the ready as Gourai seeks to exploit weaknesses in Hresvelgr’s traits.
– Not one to back down, even loving how she skims across the sand. Noting the scenery this is where she won & Stylet lost as this comes full circle.
– Hresvelgr retaining the ‘Flying Fortress’ nickname I gave her in this scene. Both long & close combat heavy design as Gourai’s combat knife crumbles.
– One of the few scenes I love with Hresvelgr as her domination of the scenery spreads into the sky. A ‘cool’ shot.
– Ao discovering a battle has taken place between Gourai & Hresvelgr with highly displeasing results. A heavy mood fills the air.

Whoever animationed/drew the below scene needs a raise. Even though this is FA: Girls, seeing how sad AO is over gourai is deep. You can actually see and feel the sadness in this. Poor Gourai, yet you knew Gourai’s 1-hit KO wins would come to an end. I bet there were people who predicted this, yet I’m one who would rather watch the show by going with the wind. I want to be surprised, and thus I was…..Even knowing Gourai would eventually lose. It was a heavy loss for Gourai as she had to learn the various emotions of defeat.

– I find this scene genuinely 100% touching. Look at how deep Ao’s eyes appear. She genuinely feels sadness towards Gourai’s defeat. All the FA: Girls do. This scene holds heavy emotions.
– Feel bad for Gourai here, yet it had to come eventually. And to an arrogant trash-talking Hresvelgr which agitates things further.

Gourai’s 1-hit KO battles coming to an end, something I had to experience with Kohiru (Busou Shinki) in a dead MMO named ‘Busou Shinki: Battle Rondo’ with how over-powered she was with her chopsticks. She decimated her foes, yet when she ranked up more skilled players could easily take her out with ease. She was too powerful for her own good that I was also a newbie to handle her properly in combat.

This was a fun arc (chapter) which turned heavy.

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  • First Tale of the FA: Girls:

This second chapter exploring Gourai’s ‘frustration’ with having lost a battle to Hresvelgr. Even eventually leading into how FA: Girls are produced that we see Gourai suffering with defeat, then the production side of things. Highly detailed also, surprisingly.

– Staring out at the window Tempesta broke as Gourai also replays the battle in her mind. That loss ‘stings’.
– “Gourai? Hey, Gourai?” – Ao

It’s interesting to see how both FA: Girls & Gourai learn with the effects of winning and losing. They feel the concept of victory and defeat, something Gourai is struggling to deal with as she stares out the window of her ‘rival’. The ‘defeat’ being written in her eyes as you’re able to read her like a book.

– The whole frustration of Gourai summed up with what she could have done to prevent defeat. All the plans after what’s done as she unknowingly learns of new tactics through defeat.

The subtitles for Ao read ‘stings’. I’m no expert at the Japanese language, yet feel that the Japanese word ‘kuyashii’ translates better to English word ‘Frustrated’. Gourai feels frustrated, vexed (it’s vexing), and it’s also regret. Basically any other word that is not ‘sting’. Something that has both meanings of hurt & defeat. It hurts to lose that you’re upset, angry, frustrated, and similar. Maybe it could be ‘annoyance’, or ‘vexation’, yet trying to mention a more simplified wording.

The way Gourai speaks doesn’t translate well with what’s written on the screen that “Ao, I’m frustrated”, or even “Ao, I’m vexed” may translate better. To me, it sounds more appropriate than “Ao, I’m stings”. Hearing & seeing does not match up to me on audio & subtitles. The subbing makes it a bit difficult because it can be one of the two words used differently by both Gourai & Ao. One might be saying ‘regret’, another might be saying ‘frustrated’. There’s even the part where Gourai could be saying ‘Ao, I’m angry’. I’m struggling to pinpoint it that I’ll settle with ‘frustrated’ & ‘frustration’. Gourai is highly ‘frustrated’, or even highly ‘agitated’ that she lost. It hurts. It’s painful. She regrets not being able to do certain actions to Hresvelgr that she’s unknowingly learning from the situation to do better.

By feeling vexed, frustrated, and regret she shows examples of how she could have won, as well as her determination, by punching Stylet. A bit of a comical effect to something so serious to Gourai.

– That feeling of regret, depression…..Poor Gourai looks like a sad little puppy. I feel for you.
– She’s finally letting her frustration out fully. Let it all out, it’ll make you feel better. I feel the word ‘frustration’ & ‘regret’ works better than ‘stings’, but that just might be me. Kuyashi seems like the word of ‘hurt’ & ‘anger’, or so I’ve come to know it as.
– The shock/surprise of seeing Gourai finally explode. Of finally seeing her emotions run through by hitting a barrier.
– Jinrai making notes of how Gourai is maturing and learning from her mistakes. Not saying a word because Ao saying what Jinrai would have said in a similar context.
– Architect & the Materia sisters also casually observing as they see Gourai grow as a character in front of their eyes.
– The calm before the storm. The silence leading into something more extreme.
– Gourai finally snapping some more as she desires to become stronger, and with a cleverly inserted FA: Girl mash-up of a Gundam mobile armor named ‘Dendrobium‘. Something I also found out is also a lovely flower. Gourai wants to be a powerful little flower.
– Jinrai finally chiming in saying Gourai lacks ‘drive’. She needs to pus herself. Fun fact: You can’t get FA: Girls just anywhere, you have to have them specially from the manufacturer.
– Gourai once again being a bit delusional as she tries to aim to be stronger, taking it out on Stylet once more as Baselard refuses to be punched by Gourai.

This scene in itself (above) is actually quite interesting in how many styles & thoughts are in it at once. Gourai simply desires to be stronger, yet choosing to do so in a simple manner. She tries to bully Stylet once more to gain some ‘experience points’, or something that Sty-ko & Baselard swap places a few times, even Baselard pushing Sty-ko further towards a tormented Gourai. What makes this hilarious is that subtle touch of American 1950’s cartoon touch of fighting that she swings a punch. That Bugs Bunny cartoon touch to it.

Thankfully, Ao stopped Gourai’s little rampage of also being briefly an opponent herself. Jinrai reminding Gourai to not attack a human as that accomplishes little, something that leads into Ao wondering what FA: Girls actually are.

Ao finally being curious enough that it drops more backstory onto the whole episode that we discover how FA: Girls are designed, modeled, assembled, and even refined to be given to us.

– HAHAHA! These FA: Girls are wise that they’re summoning Bukiko straight up to guide Ao through the origins of FA: Girls.

Bukiko’s Story telling time in a picture book format! A little corny, yet amusing, dance to go along with it.

– Chibi FA: Girls! Baselard translates well. Same with Sty-ko & Gourai on either end.

FA: Girls are first thought up in an office through specs and desires, then drawn up, then designed through CAD modeling program, to then have metallic molds printed out to contain plastic pellets within. We then get runners out of those. I love how Kotobukiya is informing the viewers how the process is made, and it’s a nice way to know how it’s done.

In the gaming industry people keep calling game developers lazy because gamers can’t enjoy features that are in games straight up. People wonder why game developers tend to hold back features because they have to build such from scratch, polish it, then release it. This process teaches people to be more informed, more patient, and less of a prick.

Want to know how spoiled people are? Go view Steam forums of any games, as well as Euro Truck Sim 2, American Truck Sim, Flight Sim WOrld, or even SCS Software’s old blog. Backtrack a bit and you’ll see how people demand stuff, baffled as to why it takes game developers & companies to release content of various types.

– Molds being carved out to hold plastic pellet molds within to turn into FA: Girls. Same process with Gundam Gunpla, and Busou Shinki, or similar.
– With the power of electricyt, I, Bukiko reference Railgun anime! Mikasa Railgun. Maybe coincidental, yet that’s what I’ve seen.
– The ‘runners’ you see to build up the FA: Girls. If you’re expecting a straight up figure then that’s a mistake. The joy of assembling your own FA: Girl is awesome.
– And that’s how FA: Girls are made! Bukiko being all smug.

Now we know how FA: Girls are made, but what about those in the anime? How are they sentient? Materia Sisters have an answer for you, and it’s a “secret”. Sorry, it’s just a secret. They’re not your average FA: Girl.

People say it’s highly doubtful (even technologically impossible) to have your own FA: Girl in their 1:1 scale, yet may be doable in a Smartdoll or similar scale. If they’ll be existent in the real world in my life time that is to be seen.

With that, Ao finally is informed enough to guide Gourai to her next battlefield, writing up her report to ‘Factory Advanced’ to gain more parts through her enthusiasm. Invasion of delivery drones!

– Ao displeased Factory Advanced already knew of her discoveries.
– Baselard discovered more within the envelope. It’s more glorious parts for Gourai!

Cue the delivery drone army as they invade Ao’s personal space. Causing a major scene as people look up in confusion at an air invasion of FA: Girl parts and kits.

What a fun episode that it took me longer than normal to break it down. There’s just so much to make note of, so much to break down, that I actually enjoyed this. The hide and seek, the little bits of Hresvelgr battle, as well as Gourai learning about defeat to only become stronger in that process. Even learning how FA: Girls are made so people would be more informed about the process. Anime also becoming a medium to inform their viewers how cruel the industry can be to the animators themselves.

I’m mostly disappointed that Hresvelgr had to have something similar to a street punk behavior. Should have been more ‘normalized’ as a character, but that just might be me with my bias of a Hresvelgr model kit.

See you in the next episode 8 with Gourai Kai!